Behind the scenes of new 'Planet of the Apes' with SA star Neil Sandilands

South African actor and director Neil Sandilands further raised his international profile when he landed a role in 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes'.

It's the third 'Planet of the Apes' instalment, set several generations into the future following the reign of Caesar.

Apes are now the dominant species and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. 

As a new tyrannical leader builds his empire, the story follows one young ape that undertakes a journey 'that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike'

Sandilands portrays Koro, the father of this young ape.

"Noah is my son, and there is a sort of coming of age ritual... It's a moment where the young primate has to leave the nest and you have to let them go, but there's also perhaps the hesitation of a father going 'maybe if I could shelter his innocence for a second more', and the movie plays out from there."

Neil Sandilands, Actor

Sandilands says the technological feats performed in this film are simply 'next level'.

He describes how motion capture technology translates the actors' every micro expression to the screen.

"We are indeed in studios and we've got green screens...  Sometimes sets are made, and then I wear a 'suit' with all these little markers. They made a cast of my face and I had around 50 little markers on my face so that the cameras could capture micro expression." 

"When you're on set you try and imbue your character with life. Then, it's really out of your hands when it goes to the digital graphics team."

"For the audience to understand, I did not wear makeup - this is all computer-generated layers, and it's just breathtaking to watch."

Neil Sandilands, Actor

What also really makes Planet of the Apes, says Sandilands, is that it serves almost as a marker or trail of our very own evolution, technologically and otherwise.

Scroll up to listen to the interview, and check out the trailer for 'The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' below: